17TH-TX-CAVALRY-L Archives

Archiver > 17TH-TX-CAVALRY > 2010-02 > 1265558948


From: Toby Turner <>
Subject: Re: [17TH-TX-CAVALRY] More Information on 17th
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 10:09:08 -0600
References: <20484683.1265551362760.JavaMail.root@elwamui-hound.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
In-Reply-To: <20484683.1265551362760.JavaMail.root@elwamui-hound.atl.sa.earthlink.net>


I can't speculate as to where he got his numbers. I am quoting from his letters. Was he a truthful man? I can't say. I know that he enlisted in 1861 and served in Company C, 17th Texas Cavalry. He was elected captain at Little Rock. He was promoted Colonel before the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee. He was wounded at New Hope Church, Georgia on 16 Jun 1864, after which his arm was amputated. There are twenty-nine letters extant from him to his wife in Smith County.

With respect to the letters and any specific mentions of Company C, on 29 Oct 1862, he wrote from Camp Nelson, reporting to his wife that no men were lost until the 16th when B. F. Massy was killed. On Dec 1, he wrote from Arkansas Post, having left 10-12 men at Camp Nelson because they were too ill to travel. On 21 Dec, he wrote that four men had died including Joseph Clary [?] on the 4th. On 5 May 1863, he wrote from Petersburg, Virginia that he had been imprisoned by Yankees and nearly 1/3 of the Regiment was dead. On the 20th, he wrote from Tulahoma, Tennessee and he specifically said 313 men were captured at the fall of Arkansas Post, of whom 111 died. Company C had 14 men die. Five were left at Camp Douglas because they were unable to travel. On 14 June, he wrote that the old 17th died May 23 when it was consolidated with the 18th, 24th and 25th Texas Cavalries. He was allowed to keep his old company. . . He then writes that "the boys left Camp Douglas and he!
was now with them. By the 20th, he was in Wartrace, Tennessee and appointed Brigade Provost Marshall and was detached from the Regiment. At this time he sent the Company flag to the ladies of Starrsville. On 25 Jul, he wrote from Tyngs Station, near Chattanooga, TN and reported Company C was on the TN River. On Oct 1, he wrote from Chattanooga to report that the balance of Company C were all right after the Battle of Chickamauga. In his subsequent letters, he made no mention of Company C.

I don't know where you're getting your information about Marsh's whereabouts . . . and don't really care. I don't have a dog in this fight. All I've done is report exactly what his letters reported to his wife.

I've decided to remove my name from the message board.
Toby



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